SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Gary Herbert has signed a bill into law that reclassifies dozens of misdemeanors as infractions, eliminating the threat of jail time.
The biggest one on the list is speeding. Under the new law, it no longer has a potential for three months in jail. Instead, it’s a monetary fine. Supporters of the law claim it will clear out as many as 180,000 cases from the Utah courts every year.
Other crimes that carried a threat of jail time included lying to a tanning salon about your age, and not keeping proper paperwork at a swap meet.
Senate Bill 187, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, and House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, would have initially reclassified hundreds of misdemeanors, but the list got watered down to 41 by the Utah State Legislature.
